chayne



Feb. 14, 1956 c. A. CHAYNE 2,734,497

CYLINDER BLOCK Filed Nov. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1956 c. A. CHAYNE 2,734,497

CYLINDER BLOCK Filed NOV. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS 2734319 7 CYLINDER BLOCK Charles 1A.Chayne,BloomfililTownship, Mich., assig'nor to G eneral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corp'ora'tiomof Delaware Application November 19, 1'932,Serial'No. 321,408

"11 Claims. (Cl. 12? --1"95) This invention relates to -engines andhas particular relation *to improvements in engine block construction especially applicable for-use in V-typeengines for automotive and other uses.

;It has been customary heretofore in the construction of V-type engines to cast one piece blocks having water jacketed cylinders'arranged in :rows of cylinders disposed obliquely with respect \to an intermediate plane through the axis of rotation of :the engine. Informing such rows of cylinders it has been-customary .to extend the water jacket means employed to the lower ends of the cylinders so-that the adjacentsidewalls of the jackets of each bank of cylinders can be formed integrally across the space between the banks, thus providing both longitudinal and transversely disposed'support means'between the opposed banks of cylinders and theopposite ly disposed end walls of the block.

This practice'is objectionable-because it tends to unnecessarily increase the weight of the block, provides more waterjacket space within the block for cooling the cylinders than isnecessary, makes a block which is diflicult to cast, and tends to cause distortion of the lower ends of the cylinders due .to the inequality in the conduction of heat from dilferent parts of the lower ends.

It is now'proposed to avoidthese objections by terminating the water-jacket means considerably above the inner ends of the cylinders, by eliminating the parts of the adjacent sidewalls of the banks of cylinders which heretofore have projected-across betweenthe cylinder banks, by providing reenforcing means on the lower edges of the sidewalls,-and by extending transversely disposed walls across the crankcase and between the inner ends of the cylinders and between the reenforcing means onthe'lower edges of-the sidewalls. These walls areprovided with openings in which the spaced lower ends of the cylinders may project and which provide ampl e clearance-for air circulation around thelower. ends of the cylinders.

In a block constructed in this manner the coring problem involved incasting cylinder blocks is greatly simplified and the lower ends ofthe cylinders are not subject to distortion resulting: from unequal heat transfer from different parts'thereof and from stresses resulting from the connectionthereof to the transverse walls employed inthe crankcase. With such construction it is also pos- *sibletofreely circulatevair and crankcase vapors between the diiferent compartments (it the crankcase, around the lower ends of the cylindersand between the crankcase and thecarnshafted gallery between adjacent banks of cylin- United States Patent *D on 2,734,497 Patented :Feb. 14,- 1956 Figure 3 is a plan viewof the engine block illustrated by Figures 1 and 2. 7 j

The block 10 illustrated by the drawing comprises banksof cylinders 11 and 12 which are arranged inrovys with the axes thereof in ;planes obliquely disposed with respect to an intermediate plane extending through thie axis of rotation of the crankshaft of the engine with which the block 10 may besemploy'ed. The cylinders in each of the banks of-cylinders 11 and lziproje'ct at gtlie inner extremities thereof through obliquely disposedlwalls' 14 which define the upper art of a crankcase 16. The crankcase 16 is formed in the block 10 between parallel sidewalls 17 and end walls 18 which extend across tl'i'e block at .the opposite ends of .the banks of cylinders 11 and 12. 'It will be noted that .the ends of the cylinders 13 .project beyond the .walls 14 and a considerable distance into the crankcasel fi. Above the "walls 13} the cylinder banks lluand '12 are formed to provide inner sidewalls 19 and2r1 and outer sidewalls-22 and 23. which merge at the upper .ends thereof in obliquely disposed outer walls 24 and 26 which are parallelto the. walls'14 and into which the .outer ends of the cylinders 13 may also be integrally cast. The walls 14, 19, 21,,22,t23 24, 26 and 18 .provide jackets surrounding the outer-parts .ofthe cylinders 13.10 provide jacketed spaces zland iflwi 'n the cylinder banks 1 1.and--12ff0r the circulation "of: re or other cooling fluid which may be employed incoming thercylinderslia. V j i The walls .14 terminate :in spaced r'elationjto biiefanbtht to provide an elongated passage 29 'which provides corn; irnunication between the upperrpartrof the crankcase 1'6 .anda eams'haft gallery 31 which is formed :iil thie space between .the cylinder bank 's'ide'walls119 and .21 and th' e block end walls 18. Formed integrally with the lower extremities of .thesidewalls 19 rand12'1 and extending'between the blockend walls 18 are block reenforciiig eel; iunns indicated .at .32. The columns 32 may the rarities internally to,provi'dfe elongated passages indicated at, 33 which may. be fused for'lubrica'ting oil passages orffolifitller suitable purposes. The passages 33 cause the 'c 8 32 to be oflight'tubular formation which provides s. r g and centrally disposed Structural. members extending on; .g-itudinal-ly of the block '10. n'osses v3 -l- 'may'b e f) '11ned outwardly from (the columns ,32, and provided with Iran sversely disposed openings indicated at 36 for supporting valve .lifterswh'ich may be employed inoperatin'g the en:- gine with which the blocklll is used. 'Thelblock 10 1s}, .is formed to provide transversely disposed walls 37 which divide the ,crankcasetinto crankcase compartments 42. The walls 37. extend across the crankcase 16, ,rhe lower part-of .the c'am'sih'aftg'alleryfil, between the columns}; andbetween aiidin parallelfre'lation to the 'cr'aiikcaseend Walls 18. The walls 37 {also are disposed approxirn iely between thecylinders 13inea'chrow of cylinders in the banks 11 and 12. The lower parts -of thewalls 37 my be formed to provide bearin'g supp'orts indicated a t 38 while the upper parts thereof are formed to T'o aligned camshaft bearing supports indicated at 39 walls 37 are cut out betweenthe lower exeema esg r the cylinders 13 to 'pr'ovide p en ggs r windows indicated at 41. Itwill be, noted that the parts of the walls forming the. edgesof the openings 41 ares paced a con siderable distance from the lower ends of the cylin ers to provide ample spaces between the cylinders-13 andtli walls 37. The openings 41 alsdextend a considerable distance beyond the lower extremities of. the cylinders 1 3 so that the lower ends of the-cylinders likewise will have ample clearance fornianufaoturing purposes; Theupp'er extremities "of the openings-"41 terminate in the Lupper crankcase walls indicated at' l4.

The columns' 32 and ath'e .(walls 37 provide a relatively rigid longitudinally and transversely} disposedebeam structure which extends through the block and between the cylinder banks 11 and 12. However, it will be noted that this centrally disposed beam structure does not close nor substantially obstruct the passage 29 between the adjacent ends of the cylinder banks 11 and 12, thereby leaving the passage 29 open for the circulation crankcase vapors and for manufacturing purposes. The walls 37 divide the crankcase 16 into the transversely disposed compartments 42 which extend from front to rear of the block and each of which has an oppositely disposed pair of the cylinders 13 projecting therein. It will be noted that the openings 41 provide communication between the compartments and around the lower extremities of the cylinders 13 thereby facilitating the flow of fluid between the compartments and the equalization of fluid pressure through all parts of the crankcase.

I claim:

1. An engine block comprising a pair of banks of cylinders disposed obliquely with respect to an intermediate 'plane, said banks of cylinders being formed to provide cooling fluid jackets around the outer parts of said cylinders and terminating in spaced relation to the inner ends of said cylinders, transversely disposed reenforcing walls extending across said block between the end walls thereof and between the ends of said cylinders extending inwardly from said jackets, aligned bearing supports formed in the edges of said transversely disposed walls opposite said cylinders for rigidly supporting the engine crankshaft with respect to said jackets, and openings formed in said transversely disposed walls and between said cylinders and terminating immediately adjacent the lower ends of said cylinders and in spaced relation to said bearing supports for receiving said inner ends of said cylinders.

2. An engine block comprising a row of cylinders having cooling fluid jacket means formed about the outer ends thereof and having said jacket means terminating in spaced relation to the inner ends of said cylinders, a plurality of reenforcing and supporting walls extending transversely across said block and between said inner ends of said cylinders, aligned bearing supports formed in the edges of said walls opposite said cylinders for rigidly supporting the engine crankshaft with respect to said jacket means, and a plurality of openings formed in said walls and between said cylinders and terminating immediately adjacent the lower ends of said cylinders and in spaced relation to said bearing supports, each of said openings being formed between the inner and adjacent ends of two of said cylinders and externally of said jacket means and in position to render the spaced inner ends of said cylinders readily accessible.

3. An engine block comprising a pair of banks of aligned cylinders having the axes thereof in planes intersecting and obliquely disposed with respect to the intermediate plane of said block, the inner ends of said cylinder banks being spaced from one another to provide an elongated passage between said banks and on opposite sides of said intermediate plane of said block, a crankcase formed in the lower part of said block and having obliquely disposed upper walls extending from the opposite sides of said passage and across said cylinder banks and between the opposite ends of said cylinders and terminating in the edges of the side walls of said crankcase, a plurality of reenforcing and supporting walls extending transversely across said block and between said side walls and with one of said transverse walls being disposed substantially between adjacent pairs of opposed cylinders in said banks, and openings formed in said transverse walls and in opposed relation to the inner ends of said cylinders and extending to said upper crankcase walls and providing communication between the sections of said crankcase formed by said transverse walls.

4. An engine block comprising a pair of cylinders having the inner ends thereof projecting into a crankcase formed in said block and with the inner ends of said cylinders being disposed in spaced relation to one another, a reeinforcing and supporting wall extending across said crankcase and dividing said crankcase into crankcase compartments each communicating with one of said cylinders, aligned bearing supports formed in the edge of said wall opposite said cylinders, and an opening formed in said wall and between said ends of said cylinders and terminating immediately adjacent the lower ends of said cylinders and in spaced relation to said bearing supports and providing substantial clearance between the edges of said wall surrounding said opening and said ends of said cylinders projecting into said compartments of said crankcase.

5. An engine block comprising banks of cylinders arranged in rows and with the axes thereof in planes disposed obliquely with respect to an intermediate plane through said block, the inner and adjacent ends of said banks of cylinders being spaced from one another to provide an elongated passage extending from the space between said banks to a crankcase formed in said block at the inner extremities of said cylinders, spaced and transversely disposed column means formed adjacent the inner extremities of said banks of cylinders and forming the opposite sidewalls of said passage for longitudinally reenforcing said banks of cylinders, crankcase sidewalls extending lengthwise of said block adjacent the outer and lower extremities of said cylinders, transversely disposed reenforcing walls extending across the upper part of said crankcase and between the inner ends of said cylinders and between said columns and between said sidewalls for transversely reenforcing said block, and openings formed in said transversely disposed walls between said inner ends of said cylinders and providing clearance space between the inner ends of said cylinders and the edges of said walls surrounding said openings.

6. An engine block comprising a crankcase formed to provide a plurality of spaced and aligned cylinders with the inner ends thereof projecting into said crankcase, walls extending transversely across said crankcase and across the spaces between said cylinders and having surfaces in planes intersecting the adjacent sides of certain of said cylinders and dividing said crankcase into crankcase compartments, aligned bearing supports formed in the edge of said wall opposite said cylinders, and openings formed in said walls and receiving said inner ends of said cylinders and having the edges thereof disposed in spaced relation to said cylinders and to said bearing supports.

7. An engine block comprising banks of cylinders arranged in rows and with the axes thereof in planes disposed obliquely with respect to an intermediate plane through said block, said block between the adjacent ends of said banks of cylinders being formed to provide a pas sage between said banks and extending from front to rear of said block, column means formed between the ends of said block and along the inner and adjacent edges of said banks of cylinders and on opposite sides of said passage, and spaced and transversely disposed walls extending across said block and said passage and between said banks of cylinders and between said columns.

8. An engine block comprising banks of cylinders arranged in rows and with the axes thereof in planes disposed obliquely with respect to an intermediate plane through said block, said banks of cylinders being spaced at the inner adjacent ends thereof to provide an elongated passage extending between the ends of said block, tubular column means disposed between the opposite ends of said block and on the opposite sides of said passage and formed along the inner and adjacent extremities of said cylinder banks, and spaced and transversely disposed reenforcing walls extending across said passage and between said cylinder banks and formed between said tubular column means and said cylinder banks.

9. An engine block comprising banks of spaced cylinders arranged in rows and with the axes thereof in planes disposed obliquely with respect to an intermediate plane through said block, a crankcase and a camshaft gallery formed in said block and between and below said banks of cylinders, said block being formed to provide obliquely disposed and spaced upper walls extending transversely across said banks of cylinders intermediate the ends thereof and forming the upper walls of said crankcase, an elongated passage formed between said cylinder banks and extending between said crankcase and said camshaft gallery, elongated columns extending between the ends of said block and along the inner edges of said obliquely disposed walls and on opposite sides of said passage, and transversely disposed walls extending across said crankcase and said camshaft gallery and between said columns and in spaced relation to one another along the length of said columns for transversely bracing said columns and said cylinder banks along the length of said block.

10. An engine block comprising banks of individually spaced cylinders arranged in rows with the axes thereof in planes disposed obliquely with respect to an intermediate plane through said block, a crankcase and a camshaft gallery formed in said block beyond and between said rows of cylinders, said crankcase and said camshaft gallery being, formed by parallel walls each extending along the sides of said crankcase and beyond the inner ends and outside of said rows of said cylinders and obliquely across said rows of cylinders in spaced relation to the inner ends of said cylinders and substantially normally with respect to the axes of said cylinders and along the sides of said camshaft gallery and between said rows of cylinders and substantially in parallel relation to the axes of said cylinders, said parallel walls being spaced from one another throughout the extent thereof to form said crankcase and said camshaft gallery and a communicating passage between said crankcase and said camshaft gallery, parallel reinforcing column means extending along the length of said parallel walls and adjacent the opposite sides of said passage, and spaced and transversely disposed walls extending between said parallel walls and said columns and dividing the interior of said block into a plurality of separate compartments, crankshaft bearing support means formed in the edges of said transversely disposed walls remote from said cylinders, camshaft bearing support means formed in said transversely disposed walls and extending lengthwise of said block and within said passage, said transversely disposed walls being formed to provide openings for receiving the inner ends of said cylinders and terminating at said parallel walls and adjacent the inner ends of said cylinders and in spaced relation to said camshaft bearing support means.

11. An engine block comprising outer side walls and front and rear end walls and obliquely disposed banks of cylinders arranged in opposed relation to one another, said cylinder banks each having inner and outer side and front and rear end walls forming cooling fluid jackets about said cylinders, said jackets being formed to terminate above the inner and adjacent ends of said cylinders and being disposed in spaced relation to one another at the inner and adjacent ends of the inner side walls of said banks, said inner side walls at the inner and adjacent ends thereof being enlarged along the adjacent edges thereof to provide spaced and elongated reenforcing columns extending from the front to the rear end walls of said banks, and transversely disposed webs extending across said block in spaced relation to one another and between the inner adjacent parts of said inner side walls of said banks and the outer side walls of said block which extend inwardly beyond the edges of the outer side walls of said banks for reenforcing said block between said banks, said side walls and said colunms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

